Clasp.



W. S. ARNOLD.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2!. 1915.-

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

FlIgl.

WILLIAM SAXON ARNOLD, 0F CHATI-IAM, ONTARIO, CANADA.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

Application filed May 21, 1915. Serial No. 29,685.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. ARNOLD, a citizen of Canada, residing at Chatham, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clasps and has particular application to a clasp for holding letters, newspapers and the like together.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a clasp whereby letters, newspapers and the like may be held together for filing or other purposes and wherein the component parts of the clasp will be so arranged and correlated as to efficiently and effectively grip the papers and hold the same.

It is also my purpose to improve and simplify the general construction of clasps and to provide a clasp which will embody comparatively few parts and these so arranged as to reduce the possibility of derangement to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clasp, the same being shown as holding a number of sheets of paper together. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the clasp. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view therethrough. Fig. & is a perspective view of the clamping aw.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 designates a single strip of metal bent upon itself between its ends as at 2 to form legs 3 and l. The leg 3, adjacent to the outer end thereof, is formed with a transverse slot 5, while the leg is bent, between its ends, as at 6 and the depression formed on the inner surface of the leg 4 by the bend 6 is disposed immediately below the slot 5 in the leg 3, while formed on the outer end of the leg -I and projecting beyond the adjacent end of the leg 3 is a lip 7 disposed in a plane par allel with that of the leg 3. Disposed between the legs 3 and 4 is a jaw S and formed Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

on one edge of the jaw 8 and projecting outwardly through the slot 5 in the leg 3 is an arm 9 bent at an angle to the jaw, at the juncture of the arm and jaw, and having the outer end thereof formed to provide a spring tongue 10 adapted to spring over the bent portion 2 of the strip l forming the legs to hold the jaw in clamping position.

In practice, the arm 9 is swung to move one face of the jaw 8 into engagement with the inner face of the leg 3, at which time the lugs 11 engage the outer face of the leg to hold the jaw 8 in proper spaced relation to the leg 4 to permit of the insertion between said parts of the material to be clamped, the legs straddling such papers, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing. The arm 9 is now swung to engage the jaw with the papers and the jaw forces the papers into the depression formed by the bend 6 in the leg 4, thereby clamping such papers. In the continued movement of the arm, the tongue 10 springs over the bent portion 2 of the strip 1, thereby locking the jaw in clamping position.

I claim:

A clamp comprising a single strip of material bent to provide spaced legs, one of said legs having a slot therein, the other of said legs having a depression arranged opposite said slot, a jaw disposed between said legs and normally engaging the leg with said depression, an arm associated therewith and projecting through said slot at an angle to said jaw, said arm being adapted to move said jaw into engagement with the inner face of said slotted leg to an inoperative position, lugs formed on said arm and forming stops to limit the movement of said arm 1n one direction to hold said jaw in said inoperative position, and a tongue on the outer end of said arm adapted to spring over the bent portion of said strip to lock said jaw in clamping position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SAXON ARNOLD.

WVitnesses:

S. B. ARNOLD, GERTRUDE GERBER.

Washington, D. C. 

